Unemployment rate in Jordan dips to 16.2% in Q3 2025

The Department of Statistics (DoS) said Sunday that the total unemployment rate for the population residing in the Kingdom (Jordanians and non-Jordanians) reached 16.2% during the third quarter of 2025.

This figure represents a decrease of 0.1 percentage point compared to the third quarter of 2024 (16.3%) and a drop of 0.3 percentage point from the second quarter of 2025.

Trends in Jordanian Labor Market

The DoS data revealed mixed trends and notable long-term improvements in certain demographic groups:

• Jordanian Males: The unemployment rate for Jordanian males reached 18% during Q3 2025, a decrease of 0.3 percentage point compared to Q3 2024. Significantly, unemployment among Jordanian males has fallen by 4.4 percentage points since 2021.
• Long-Term Decline: Unemployment for all Jordanians decreased by 1.7 percentage points over the last three years (compared to Q3 2022).
• Social Security: For the first time, the number of Social Security subscribers among Jordanians rose to 96,000 in the period from Jan. 1, 2025, to Nov. 15, 2025.

Disparities and Youth Unemployment

The DoS report highlighted notable disparities by gender and age:

• Total Jordanian Unemployment: The overall unemployment rate for Jordanians reached 21.4% in Q3 2025, slightly down by 0.1 percentage point from Q3 2024 (21.5%).
• Jordanian Females: Unemployment among Jordanian females registered 33.9% in Q3 2025, an increase of 0.6 percentage point compared to Q3 2024. The DoS attributed this increase to the fact that the third quarter coincides with graduates entering the pool of job seekers after completing their academic year.
• Age 24 and Over: The unemployment rate for Jordanians in the 24-and-over age group was 17.2%, broken down into 13.5% for males and 30.1% for females.
• Non-Jordanians: The unemployment rate for non-Jordanians in the 24-and-over age group was substantially lower at 7.1% (6.4% for males and 11.5% for females). The overall unemployment rate for non-Jordanians stood at 9.2% in Q3 2025.

Lowest Male Unemployment Since 2017

The unemployment rate among the male population (Jordanians and non-Jordanians combined) reached 13.6% during Q3 2025. This marks a decrease of 0.5 percentage point from the same quarter in 2024 and is the lowest male unemployment rate recorded since 2017.

The DoS clarified that "unemployment among all residents" refers to the unemployment rate for the entire population residing in the Kingdom, which includes both Jordanian and non-Jordanian residents.